Question/survey about feeding pre-killed

[candyraver69]

I have seen similar posts all over the web about this subject but wanted some detail that wasn't provided. If this topic has been beaten to death, I apologize.

What is your proffered way to feed your snake: A. thawed frozen or B. freshly pre-killed

If you pre-kill your own food what method do you use: A. spinal dislocation B. freezing live C. CO2 D. other (please specify)

If you purchase frozen where do you get it: A. pet store B. online retailer C. other (please specify)

If you pre-kill your own where do you get them: A. pet store B. breed your self C. other (please specify)

Overall what type/sizes do you feed monthly between all of your snakes (example 4 mouse pinkies a month or 30 mouse pinkies, 30 adult mice, 30 medium rats)?

If you had a friend that bred pet rats and was willing to give you frozen rats or mice that were fed a very high quality diet and put down humanely with co2 then frozen, would you prefer this over your current method? For people with a large amount of snakes that need a huge quantity this may apply to only cutting down on the amount you get another way rather than replace it.

The morals of such things have been beat to death, so I'd rather not start an argument about that. I want to leave it simply as a survey to see which types of people with snakes would find such a thing as a convenience (some free healthy food) and which are very comfortable with their current practices.

Thank you for your time.

[infernalis]

apologies if I miss anything....

I prefer to feed frozen thawed, it's just convenient for me since I have around 100 snakes.

When needed I kill by blunt force trauma (a swift blow to the head/neck)

I order frozen mice from rodent pro (online vendor) 5-8 hundred mice per order.

I also raise rats and mice, but I have found 2 pet stores that pay nicely for them, so I sell the live rodents and use the money to buy frozen.

I can't even count how many I use, I have emptied out bags of 100 in a single feeding session.

[Lankyrob]

Feed frozen thawed - bought from one of two reptile shops in our area.

Would i take frozen from a friend - yes, as long as i was happy that his feeding/killing methods were humane and good for the prey as well as the snake.

In a month i go through 2 XL mice, 14 medium mice, 8 fluffy mice. Am going to be switching most of the Medium mice feeders over to rats in the next couple of months but a few of the snakes are only just settling into a routine of feeding for me.

[Will0W783]

My preferred way to feed is frozen/thawed. I buy my frozen feeders in bulk. The few times that I have had to prekill I have used cervical dislocation, using a flat screwdriver to pop the head from the neck. I buy my frozen food from a local vendor at the reptile shows.

I feed anywhere from rat pinks to XL rats. 2 rat pinks, 7 weaners, 15 small rats, 5 mediums and 1 large every feeding, which is twice a month.

If I had a friend who had a humane way of killing off rats and was going to give me a better deal than my current supplier, I would definitely take it. I know a lot of people who breed their own rodents for food, and to each their own. I personally don't have the space, time, or money to maintain rodent colonies, so buying frozen is the best option for me.

[candyraver69]

Great feedback, thank you! I look forward to more responses.

When I had snakes I bred my own and it was really hard to manage to breed the right amounts at the right times because I was working with such a small scale (feeding an adult ball python small rats (weanlings) and a burm that started on fuzzy rats and eventually made her way up to several adult rats. It really was a hassle even though it saved me a ton of money.

I think it would be far more manageable if I had more snakes or had some friends with snakes to share with.

I would imagine it also being WAY to big of a hassle to breed your own if you had that large of a collection! 100 mice in one day of feeding, wow! good thing for that cheap online supplier!

[infernalis]

I would imagine it also being WAY to big of a hassle to breed your own if you had that large of a collection! 100 mice in one day of feeding, wow! good thing for that cheap online supplier!


My situation is very unique compared to the other members here, my main focus is rare Garter Snakes, they are a smaller species and mostly are fed pinkies.

I have 6 rather large (by garter standards) that can eat young adult mice, but all the rest must eat pinkies because they have such small heads. Therefore one snake can consume 4 pinkies in a single meal.

Further this species is a fast metabolism snake that will eat 2-3 times a week:eek:

[candyraver69]

My situation is very unique compared to the other members here, my main focus is rare Garter Snakes, they are a smaller species and mostly are fed pinkies.

I have 6 rather large (by garter standards) that can eat young adult mice, but all the rest must eat pinkies because they have such small heads. Therefore one snake can consume 4 pinkies in a single meal.

Further this species is a fast metabolism snake that will eat 2-3 times a week:eek:

That is unique. Very neat :) Never met anyone with a pet garter snake before. I imagine I will be meeting a ton of new people with all kinds of interesting snakes now joining this forum.

[infernalis]

Have a look at this thread.....

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/thamnophis/82907-wayne-s-garter-snake-photo-thread.html

[shaunyboy]

i buy frozen rats from a local private breeder

cheers shaun

[lovemyskittles]

We buy f/t from local breeder. Occasionally have had to buy live and kill them - blunt force to head/neck area. Get our live ones from local reptile shop.

Per month we feed: 4pinkie mice, 12crawler mice, 8 lg adult mice.

If a friend had the size(s) we need we would for our snakes we would get/buy our mice from a friend.

[Reptile_Reptile]

when you use blunt force to kill do you just go wild man on it and straight up smash the head or do you just bonk it and kill it

[marvelfreak]

I crank up the Ozzy slam a beer or two grab the rat and bit it head right off.:eek: LOL (just kidding)

[Reptile_Reptile]

i was believing you up (no joke) until the lol i had several emotions in about 2 seconds XP

[presspirate]

I feed f/t always. I have had 3 snakes, that when I got them I was told they will ONLY eat live. With a little patience they have all taken f/t and thrived.

I purchase my rats/mice at a local reptile store, though I have been looking into a large order online.

I feed 12 small mice, 6 large rats, and 3 small rats per month, but as the snakes grow, that changes. Average bill per month is about $45

I could not bring myself to kill a rat. I've had rats as pets, and if forced to kill them to feed my snakes, I'd have even more rats as pets. And, yes if I knew someone that raised rats and would kill and freeze them humanely, I would definitely buy from them.

[infernalis]

when you use blunt force to kill do you just go wild man on it and straight up smash the head or do you just bonk it and kill it

One swift bonk to the head.

even if they are not totally dead, the snakes first instinct is to constrict.

Constriction is not inhumane, it's nature... I do it to keep the rats from biting the snake.

[candyraver69]

LOL! Biting the head off is a way I've never heard of to pre-kill snake food. I gotta say tasting rat brains doesn't sound fun to me personally but hey!

I agree with you about the constriction to a point, it might not be fun for the rodent but it's nature! The part that makes it un-natural to me is the tossing it into a container with a snake ready to eat it, no where to run and hide. In nature the poor little ******* would at least have the option to TRY and dodge under a rock or run off.

I choose pre-killing for the snakes sake mostly too though. Can't say I didn't feed live ever in my life or that I wouldn't if I was trying to get a snake eating that was being difficult. The bites and scratches are just nice to avoid if at all possible... not to mention it's more covenant and cheaper to buy frozen than live.

I've never had a problem killing my own rats, even though they are wonderful loving creatures, I just don't find it any different than killing a salmon or a cow for my own food in my own personal set of morals. I can certainly respect people that can't handle it though or feel differently. Even though I tease my hubby who couldn't do it, I find his morals admirable.

Maybe it stems from having been around farm animals as a young child, learning to accept the death of another creature that was cute and cuddley because that was what put food on the table. I do have a very big respect for death though and you won't ever catch me killing something purely for fun (like some hunters and fishermen) or even harming plants for fun. My son thinks I'm a lunatic because I get so upset when he sits in the yard and starts pulling up chunks of grass out of boredom or kicks a tree or flower over while on a nature hike.

[infernalis]

Respect for life.. A++ kudos.

I feel the same. If it's going to get eaten, then it's part of natures design, if it's just for "fun" well that's not.

I grew up with cows, pigs and chickens in the barn, so I had to learn at a very early age to provide the best care for our animals and to accept the fact that when they reach adulthood it was time to fill the freezer.

[percey39]

I beed my own rats at the moment. I still buy my pinkies though as i cant breed enough to keep me going on my young snakes. I have 3 males and 8 females in the rats and if you own rats thats enough to be a hobby in its own..
I feed F/T, but i break the rats neck before putting them in the freezer. I like to freeze them to get rid of any possible internal parasites.

[Reptile_Reptile]

how do you break the neck... im sorry but im asking for specifics so i can do it not just ways.

[D&J-burgos]

I have a ball python about 9 months now? ive done as ive been told to do usually the first, a nice whack to stun(sometimes kills) the mouse/rat and i have never had a problem thus far with him grabbing it before the mouse/rat comes to or kill and freeze...i get them from a pet store a town over, about a 20 min drive or so..sometimes ill grab a few extra and fallow the second method.(fed live today) i feed 2~3 monthly i would absolutely buy the mice from a friend any thing to help the little guy.

[D&J-burgos]

what i do when i kill and freeze....quick hard thump between the head and shoulders with the back of a french knife, you could use about any thing just so long as you be sure to hit to kill and not have the animal suffer...im sure there are more or better ways but it works for me

[percey39]

how do you break the neck... im sorry but im asking for specifics so i can do it not just ways.

As im mainly breed my rats to weaners and fuzzies, sometimes to adulthood for my larger pythons. I just squeeze just above their shoulders and quickly twist the head 200-260 degrees. This kills them instantly and i always double check before they are put in the freezer. It was different to say the least when i first done it, but i would rather do this than subject them to freezing and Co2.

[Reptile_Reptile]

idk i would rather kill myself and freeze but im just unsure i can get it right and not f up the poor rodent

[DeesBalls]

Lets see....

3 snakes eat frozen thawed, 1 eats live (BP)
get everything from a pet supplies plus store i like...

in a month about...12 fuzzies, 4 mice and 2-4 small rats...

hope i didnt miss anything

[presspirate]

idk i would rather kill myself and freeze but im just unsure i can get it right and not f up the poor rodent

I'm quoting Infernalis here from another thread. "Put it in a pillow case, twirl that sucker like you hate it then smack it on the counter." I think that about covers it.

[Reptile_Reptile]

... i remember seeing that thread. that was hardcore sh*t.

sorry for attempting a curse

[infernalis]

Thankfully I have not had to kill my own rats or mice in a long while...

[dragunov.762]

i have only killed a live rat or mouse once long ago before i knew what i was doing and i used a mouse trap to break its neck. that was only because it back was broken and it was suffering. but from what i have read you can wring their necks (i would assume that is the easiest way) or you can hold their neck down on a table or counter top with a screw driver or the like and pull their body away from their head. i have heard that bashing them on a counter is not a good way to do it especially if you have never done it before because most people will stop mid swing and only injure the rat instead of killing it. one way i have also heard to feed live it to swing the rat around and make it dizzy and then put it in with the snake. the snake should grab it while it is disoriented and kill it before the rat can harm your snake. i have no clue if it works or not but it is an interesting theory.

[presspirate]

I'm actually glad to see that nobody has said they enjoy killing rats. Our humanity is intact.

[D&J-burgos]

lol, i agree with you Pirate

[infernalis]

I'm actually glad to see that nobody has said they enjoy killing rats. Our humanity is intact.

This is the finest group of people I have had the pleasure to moderate.:)

[presspirate]

This is the finest group of people I have had the pleasure to moderate.:)

AWWWWWWW We love you too Wayne! :wacky: